Audre Lorde Hurston Double Consciousness Analysis

According to W.E.B. DuBois, “double consciousness” is the “sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by a tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity” (DuBois 5). In other words, it is the self that a person views themselves as, compared to the self that comes from the outside perspective, where the person viewing it believes more in the outside view. This idea connects to gender stereotypes, how women cannot see themselves as equal in society because they are often portrayed as being voiceless, lonely, or dependent on men. Despite such stereotypical views that separate women from men, Audre Lorde “challenges her feminist community to deliver a collective voice ale to attend

to difference without privileging one group over another” (Norman 120). All women should fight for an egalitarian society because each woman deserves the right to power. This view is rooted in the African-American and feminist story, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Hurston. Janie is an African-American woman who is often denied her rights of power by her husband, Joe Starks. Power is essential for the feminist movement because it consists of voice, the breakage of gender stereotypes, and freedom. After dealing with the double-consciousness of being seen by society as having no voice, Janie chooses to speak up against Joe Starks's sexism. Thus in breaking his gender identity by emasculating him and wounding his pride, she gains self-determination and, most importantly, the freedom of speech.
First, in terms of power, the difference between women and men is a voice. Voice is the ability to speak at any moment without being controlled by an opposing force. When a woman attempts to speak, she is often denied that ability by a man who believes that having a voice is for men only. This is evident in the story Their Eyes Were Watching God when Janie is offered a chance to speak to the public about the grand opening of the new store but is denied that chance by Joe Starks, her husband. “‘And now we’ll listen tuh uh few words uh encouragement from Mrs. Mayor Starks.’ The burst of applause was cut short by Joe taking the floor himself. ‘Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, buh mah wife don’t know nothing ‘bout no speech-makin’” (Hurston 43). Tony, one of the townspeople, offers Janie a chance to give her own words about the grand opening to the rest of the townspeople. However, Joe Starks revokes that privilege from her which proves that gender identity for men is greater than women’s. This is the first time Janie notices “double-consciousness” and how it is imposed on her not only by color but also by men. This scene of the story relates to DuBois’s statement of “a world which yields no true self-consciousness” (DuBois 5). She is in the position where she is viewed not just by race but strictly by gender. Janie’s voice is silenced because she is Black and a woman. It is the idea of “double-consciousness” when Joe Starks denies her right of speech to the public because he refuses to see Janie as equal to a man, who fits the society’s standards of having a voice, being sociable, or being independent. However, one day, she becomes frustrated of Joe Starks and decides to speak up against him in front of the townspeople, which destroys his gender identity.
Moving forward, voice becomes the only tool a woman can use in order to break gender stereotypes. From this point forward, “double-consciousness” becomes obliterated when a man is unexpectedly voiced by a woman in front of society, resulting in his masculinity and pride being destroyed. This is evident in the story when Janie speaks up against Joe Starks when he continues to humiliate and degrade her in public. Janie breaks Joe Stark’s gender identity when she “took the middle of the floor to talk right into Jody’s face, and that was something that hadn’t been done before…‘Hmph! Talkin’ about me lookin’ old! When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life’” (Hurston 78-79). Before Janie speaks up against Joe Starks, he is upset with her because she did not cut the tobacco correctly at the store. When he ridicules her in front of the townspeople, she is fed and, for the first time, lashes out at him. “Then Joe Stars realized all the meanings and his vanity bled like a flood. Janie had robbed him of his illusion of irresistible maleness that all men cherish, which was terrible...she had cast down his empty armor before men and they had laughed” (Hurston 79). Joe Starks’s gender identity is destroyed because his pride and masculinity are broken by Janie’s voice tool, as the men laughs at him. As society surprisingly watches Janie destroy Joe Stark’s gender identity, it helps erase “double-consciousness” because society no longer sees Janie as a voiceless woman. As she performs this feminist action of speaking up against Joe Starks, who denied her right of voice for a long time, she gains self-determination as Joe Starks slowly dies due to an organ failure, depression, and his decline of power, as the townspeople looks at him differently. That being the case, finding a voice is the first step to confronting social standards.
Finally, acknowledging the power of voice without being controlled by an opposing force is self-determination.

After the death of Joe Starks, as he dies not only from kidney failure but also from Janie annihilating his pride and masculinity, Janie feels a sense of freedom and happiness. This is evident in the story when Janie is not crying at her late husband’s funeral, “…nor did the things of death reach inside to disturb her calm…herself went rollicking with the springtime across the world” (Hurston 88). Janie feels a sense of empowerment because there is no man in her life to control her voice and movement. This is the beginning of her new life, feeling a sense of accomplishment of voicing against male’s social standards, since “sisterhood are perceived as impossible because they exclude those who do not inhabit the current center of feminism” (Norman 131). Brian Norman elicits that feminist power ends inequality. It takes practice and work to escape bias and “double-consciousness.” Janie becomes a feminist by speaking up to Joe Starks at the store in front of the townspeople, which breaks male’s social standards Now, the men in her town no longer have the “double-consciousness” lenses on Janie because society no longer perceives her as voiceless, lonely, or dependent on men. Janie made all the men see women in the same way Janie sees women as,

equal.
Furthermore, as a woman becomes a feminist, her relative freedom can be extended with a man who is also a feminist himself.

Tea Cake is much younger than Janie but is very respectable, less controlling, and promotes equality, unlike Joe Starks. This is evident in the story when Tea Cake offers Janie the opportunity to work with him in the field in exchange for his service cooking dinner at home. “‘After dis, you betta come git uh job uh work out dere...So Ah won’t be losin’ time comin’ home’…It got the whole field to playing off and on. Then Tea Cake would help get supper afterwards…Only here, she could listen and laugh and even talk some herself if she wanted to” (Hurston 133-134). Tea Cake represents the men in society that do not allow society’s standards to oppose women because they believe in equality. As a result, Janie even has more freedom just by being married to a man who believes in equality of both genders. She can mix the men at work, speak her mind, and have fun without being judged by her husband. In terms of gender stereotypes, the idea of “double-consciousness” does not exist in Tea Cake and Janie’s type of relationship because each sees nothing wrong in performing opposite gender roles. “To aspirational visions of national belonging…this move may jeopardize visions of full equality for all if they reside in the particular of identity” (Norman 117). Brian Norman’s idea supports Tea Cake’s vision of equality because he wants Janie to join him in

working in the field, picking up beans and crops, which she agrees to do. Gender role allows equality and freedom where Janie can help Tea Cake in the field while Tea Cake can help Janie in the kitchen. It has been a social standard that men must work out in the fields whereas women must stay home to cook and clean. However, Tea Cake gives Janie the freedom to choose, whereas, with her previous husband, Joe Starks, it is a must to do as told.
In a final analysis, a voice is a big theme in Their Eyes Were Watching God because it encompasses feminism, self-determinism, for women. Voice is the only powerful weapon a woman has that can break any gender stereotype and enable freedom. When a woman is denied the chance of speech by men who opposes equality, the woman patiently holds onto their voice. This idea fits DuBois’s “double-consciousness” because women are portrayed as being voiceless, lonely, or dependent on men by society. However, in such circumstances, the woman must speak up against inequality in order to break society’s standards. The right opportunity is when there are men and women present to witness a woman destroying gender stereotypes. Janie is fortunate to speak up against Joe Starks, which not only kills his masculinity and pride, but also helps erase the gender stereotypes that is portrayed on women. Power is what everyone needs, but in the right measure. Just like Tea Cake, a man can be identified as a feminist who believes that men and women should be equal . Unfortunately, in this world, some men do not treat women as equal. However, the goal for all women is to cross the line that separates them from men and to be able to imagine a future where each can fight against bias. This idea fits Audre Lorde’s vision because she believes in the feminist movement. The future is for all women to be involved in equality and to identify the space between equality and inequality. Sometimes, it is not the experience, it is the vision.